Near-real-time and real-time communications

Abstract

The present disclosure generally discloses capabilities for supporting new network zones and associated services. The network zones and associated services may include a near-real-time (NRT) zone and associated NRT services, a real-time (RT) zone and associated RT services, or the like. The resilient network zones and associated resilient and non-resilient services may be configured to provide bounded latency guarantees for reliably supporting various types of applications (e.g., mobile fronthaul, cloud computing, Internet-of-Things (IoT), or the like). The network zones and associated services may be provided using a distance-constrained fiber and wavelength switching fabric design comprised of various network devices and using associated controllers, which may be configured to support service provisioning functions, service testing functions, wavelength switching functions, and so forth.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a device of a network zone having a bounded latency associated therewith, lowest latency path information associated with a set of wavelength paths of the network zone; 
 receiving, by the device, an indication of data of a service to be communicated by the device; and 
 performing, by the device based on the lowest latency path information associated with the set of wavelength paths of the network zone, wavelength switching of the data of the service. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wavelength switching comprises lowest latency wavelength path switching. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wavelength switching of the data of the service is based on a comparison of service latency information associated with the service and the lowest latency path information associated with the set of wavelength paths of the network zone. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein performing the wavelength switching of the data of the service includes:
 determining, for each of the wavelength paths in the set of wavelength paths of the network zone based on the lowest latency path information, a respective lowest latency value indicative of a lowest latency of the respective wavelength path; 
 selecting, from the set of wavelength paths of the network zone, a selected wavelength path for which the respective lowest latency value indicative of the lowest latency of the wavelength path is lowest; and 
 sending the data of the service using the selected wavelength path. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein performing the wavelength switching of the data of the service includes:
 determining, for each of the wavelength paths in the set of wavelength paths of the network zone based on the lowest latency path information, a respective lowest latency value indicative of a lowest latency of the respective wavelength path; 
 selecting, from the set of wavelength paths of the network zone, a selected group of wavelength paths for which the respective lowest latency values indicative of the lowest latencies of the wavelength paths are lowest; and 
 sending the data of the service using the selected group of wavelength paths. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 performing, by the device, shortest path bridging based on the lowest latency path information associated with the set of wavelength paths of the network zone. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 performing, by the device, an open shortest path first computation based on the lowest latency path information associated with the set of wavelength paths of the network zone. 
 
     
     
       8. An apparatus, comprising:
 at least one processor; and 
 at least one memory including program code; 
 wherein the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
 receive, by a device of a network zone having a bounded latency associated therewith, lowest latency path information associated with a set of wavelength paths of the network zone; 
 receive, by the device, an indication of data of a service to be communicated by the device; and 
 perform, by the device based on the lowest latency path information associated with the set of wavelength paths of the network zone, wavelength switching of the data of the service. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the wavelength switching comprises lowest latency wavelength path switching. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the wavelength switching of the data of the service is based on a comparison of service latency information associated with the service and the lowest latency path information associated with the set of wavelength paths of the network zone. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein, to perform the wavelength switching of the data of the service, the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
 determine, for each of the wavelength paths in the set of wavelength paths of the network zone based on the lowest latency path information, a respective lowest latency value indicative of a lowest latency of the respective wavelength path; 
 select, from the set of wavelength paths of the network zone, a selected wavelength path for which the respective lowest latency value indicative of the lowest latency of the wavelength path is lowest; and 
 send the data of the service using the selected wavelength path. 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein, to perform the wavelength switching of the data of the service, the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
 determine, for each of the wavelength paths in the set of wavelength paths of the network zone based on the lowest latency path information, a respective lowest latency value indicative of a lowest latency of the respective wavelength path; 
 select, from the set of wavelength paths of the network zone, a selected group of wavelength paths for which the respective lowest latency values indicative of the lowest latencies of the wavelength paths are lowest; and 
 send the data of the service using the selected group of wavelength paths. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein, the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
 perform, by the device, shortest path bridging based on the lowest latency path information associated with the set of wavelength paths of the network zone. 
 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein, the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
 perform, by the device, an open shortest path first computation based on the lowest latency path information associated with the set of wavelength paths of the network zone. 
 
     
     
       15. A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a device configured to support a set of wavelength paths, an indication of data of a service to be communicated by the device; and 
 performing, by the device based on bounded latency path information associated with the set of wavelength paths, wavelength switching of the data of the service. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the wavelength switching comprises equal bounded latency multi-path wavelength switching. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the wavelength switching of the data of the service is based on a comparison of the service latency information associated with the service and the bounded latency path information associated with the set of wavelength paths. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15 , wherein performing wavelength switching of the data of the service includes:
 determining, for each of the wavelength paths based on the bounded latency path information, a respective bounded latency value indicative of a bounded latency of the respective wavelength path; 
 identifying, from the wavelength paths, multiple wavelength paths for which the respective bounded latency values are equal; and 
 sending the data of the service using the multiple wavelength paths for which the respective bounded latency values are equal. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 15 , wherein performing wavelength switching of the data of the service includes:
 determining, for each of the wavelength paths based on the bounded latency path information, a respective bounded latency value indicative of a bounded latency of the respective wavelength path; 
 identifying, from the wavelength paths, multiple wavelength paths for which the respective bounded latency values satisfy a threshold; and 
 sending the data of the service using the multiple wavelength paths for which the respective bounded latency values satisfy the threshold. 
 
     
     
       20. An apparatus, comprising:
 at least one processor; and 
 at least one memory including program code; 
 wherein the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
 receive, by a device configured to support a set of wavelength paths, an indication of data of a service to be communicated by the device; and 
 perform, by the device based on bounded latency path information associated with the set of wavelength paths, wavelength switching of the data of the service. 
 
 
     
     
       21. The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the wavelength switching comprises equal bounded latency multi-path wavelength switching. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the wavelength switching of the data of the service is based on a comparison of the service latency information associated with the service and the bounded latency path information associated with the set of wavelength paths. 
     
     
       23. The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein, to perform equal bounded latency multi-path wavelength switching of the data of the service, the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
 determine, for each of the wavelength paths based on the bounded latency path information, a respective bounded latency value indicative of a bounded latency of the respective wavelength path; 
 identify, from the wavelength paths, multiple wavelength paths for which the respective bounded latency values are equal; and 
 send the data of the service using the multiple wavelength paths for which the respective bounded latency values are equal. 
 
     
     
       24. The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein, to perform equal bounded latency multi-path wavelength switching of the data of the service, the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
 determine, for each of the wavelength paths based on the bounded latency path information, a respective bounded latency value indicative of a bounded latency of the respective wavelength path; 
 identify, from the wavelength paths, multiple wavelength paths for which the respective bounded latency values satisfy a threshold; and 
 send the data of the service using the multiple wavelength paths for which the respective bounded latency values satisfy the threshold.